HowStuffWorks "How Car Engines Work"
[http://www.howstuffworks.com/] SUBSCRIBE Adventure Animals Auto Culture Entertainment Health Home & Garden Lifestyle Money Science Tech Video Shows Quizzes Auto Basics Tech and Transport Auto Parts & Systems Auto Racing Buying & Selling Car Models Driving & Safety Fuel Efficiency Motorcycles Trucks Under the Hood Home / Auto / Under the Hood / Engines / Types of Engines How Car Engines Work by Marshall Brain Page 1 Introduction to How Car Engines Work 2 Internal Combustion 3 Basic Engine Parts 4 Engine Problems Image Gallery: Exotic Engines The Corvette ZR1's supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine produces 620 horsepower standard. See more pictures of car engines. See more pictures of engines . Photo courtesy General Motors Up Next The Ultimate Automotive Physics Quiz 5 Ways Modern Car Engines Overpower Older Engines How the Grail Engine Works What is a hot bulb engine? Have you ever opened the hood of your car and wondered what was going on in there? A car engine can look like a big confusing jumble of metal, tubes and wires to the uninitiated. You might want to know what's going on simply out of curiosity. Or perhaps you are buying a new car, and you hear things like "3.0 liter V-6" and " dual overhead cams " and "tuned port fuel injection ." What does all of that mean? In this article, we'll discuss the basic idea behind an engine and then go into detail about how all the pieces fit together, what can go wrong and how to increase performance. The purpose of a gasoline car engine is to convert gasoline into motion so that your car can move. Currently the easiest way to create motion from gasoline is to burn the gasoline inside an engine. Therefore, a car engine is an internal combustion engine -- combustion takes place internally. Two things to note: There are different kinds of internal combustion engines. Diesel engines are one form and gas turbine engines are another. See also the articles on HEMI engines , rotary engines and two-stroke engines . Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There is such a thing as an external combustion engine. A steam engine in old-fashioned trains and steam boats is the best example of an external combustion engine. The fuel (coal, wood, oil, whatever) in a steam engine burns outside the engine to create steam, and the steam creates motion inside the engine. Internal combustion is a lot more efficient (takes less fuel per mile) than external combustion, plus an internal combustion engine is a lot smaller than an equivalent external combustion engine. This explains why we don't see any cars from Ford and GM using steam engines. Let's look at the internal combustion process in more detail in the next section. Launch Video Print Cite This! Close Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: Brain, Marshall. "How Car Engines Work" 05 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com.
14 August 2014. Citation & Date Feedback Page 1 Introduction to How Car Engines Work 2 Internal Combustion 3 Basic Engine Parts 4 Engine Problems 5 Engine Valve Train and Ignition Systems 6 Engine Cooling, Air-intake and Starting Systems 7 Engine Lubrication, Fuel, Exhaust and Electrical Systems 8 Producing More Engine Power More To Explore More Great Links Top 10 Green Driving Tips 5 Scariest Stunt Car Feats The Ultimate CarStuff Fan Quiz 5 Warning Signs You Need New Tires 10 Most Expensive Classic Cars Watch American Chopper videos >> You Might Also Like How Rotary Engines Work A rotary engine is an internal combustion engine, but it's not like the one in most cars. Learn about the unique rotary setup and how it compares performance-wise to a piston engine. Car Smarts: Diesel While diesel earned itself a bad reputation for spewing soot in the early days, improvements have made it much cleaner. Test your knowledge of all things diesel with this quiz. Popular Articles How does the intake manifold affect your engine? How is diesel fuel injection different? How does engine placement affect handling? Most Popular Most Watched Most Popular 10 Tips for Buying a Salvage Auto How Windshield Wipers Work Top 10 Alternative Fuels on the Road Right Now The Ultimate Automotive Physics Quiz 10 Amazing Car Security Systems Most Watched Understanding Cars Auto Parts & Systems Deconstructed Wrecks to Riches: Rebuilding Classic Cars Car Accident Videos Bikes, Hacks, Trikes and Choppers Don't Miss Stuff You Should Know: Demystifying Your World Stuff Mom Never Told You: All Things Women and Gender Stuff You Missed in History Class: Fact or Fiction? CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS HOWSTUFFWORKS NEWSLETTER THE LATEST AND GREATEST SUBSCRIBE HOWSTUFFWORKS Adventure Animals Auto Culture Entertainment Health Home & Garden Lifestyle Money Science Tech MORE STUFF Blogs HSW Tools RSS Maps Podcasts Quizzes Newsletters Video HSW Brazil HSW China STUFF WEBSITES BrainStuff CarStuff Fw:Thinking Stuff Mom Never Told You Stuff of Genius Stuff They Don't Want You to Know Stuff to Blow Your Mind Stuff You Missed in History Class Stuff You Should Know CUSTOMER SERVICE Advertising Contact Us Help CORPORATE About Us Careers @ HSW Privacy Policy Visitor Agreement TAKE US WITH YOU FOLLOW US Copyright © 1998-2014 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace LLC